magnuson house - News - The Coastal Star2024-03-29T06:26:38Zhttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/feed/tag/magnuson+houseBoynton Beach: News briefshttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/boynton-beach-news-briefs2024-02-28T15:39:08.000Z2024-02-28T15:39:08.000ZThe Coastal Starhttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/TheCoastalStar<div><p><strong>Plans for Magnuson House dropped —</strong> Boynton Beach city commissioners terminated the Community Redevelopment Agency’s contract to turn the historic Magnuson House into a restaurant.</p>
<p>Commissioners, acting in their role of CRA board members, decided in January to end the contract with restaurateur Anthony Barber. Officials said he had not been in touch since indicating in November he was having difficulty finding lenders, in part because of the restrictions in place due to the building’s historic designation.</p>
<p>They gave Barber until the CRA’s February meeting to find the needed financing, but heard nothing back from him.</p>
<p>After ending the contract in February, commissioners voted to give Barber back his $10,000 deposit.</p>
<p>“Mr. Barber spent well over that” trying to make the project work, said Vice Mayor Thomas Turkin. “It’s not the individual’s fault.”</p>
<p><strong>Hunt for CRA director continues —</strong> The CRA board narrowed down the candidates for the vacant CRA director’s job to four, who will be interviewed in the coming weeks.<br />Interim CRA Director Timothy Tack has said some 64 candidates applied to replace Thuy Shutt. She was fired from her post by the commission, for largely unspecified reasons, at a tumultuous CRA meeting in October. </p>
<p><strong>Monitoring well approved —</strong> The CRA board approved the placement of a monitoring well at 401 E. Boynton Beach Blvd. to assess whether an auto repair operation at 319 E. Boynton Beach Blvd. has caused petroleum contamination in the area.</p>
<p>Interim CRA Director Timothy Tack said there has been concern that any finding of contamination could affect the proposed construction of a new United States Post Office building on the site by Maple Tree Construction. <br />Tack added, however, that if contamination is discovered, the state Department of Environmental Protection offers a Petroleum Restoration Program for cleanup at no cost to the property owner, which is the CRA.</p>
<p>The Palm Beach County Department of Environmental Resources Management requested the board’s approval to place the monitoring well, Tack said. </p>
<p style="text-align:right;"><em>— Tao Woolfe</em></p></div>Boynton Beach: Plans for Magnuson House restaurant deemed ‘in default’https://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/boynton-beach-plans-for-magnuson-house-restaurant-deemed-in-defau2024-01-31T16:40:45.000Z2024-01-31T16:40:45.000ZThe Coastal Starhttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/TheCoastalStar<div><p><strong>By Tao Woolfe</strong></p>
<p>Boynton Beach city commissioners sitting as the Community Redevelopment Agency’s governing board pulled the plug last month on a creative proposal that would have transformed the historic Magnuson House into a restaurant.</p>
<p>“This is really hard, really difficult to discuss,” said Commissioner Aimee Kelley, one of three commissioners on the dais at the CRA’s Jan. 18 board meeting. “We were really excited and wanted to see it happen.”</p>
<p>She was speaking of the proposal of restaurateur Anthony Barber, who owns Troy’s Barbeque restaurants in Boynton Beach and West Palm Beach. </p>
<p>Barber had hoped to turn the Oscar Magnuson House, 211 E. Ocean Ave., into a 3,000-square-foot, full-service American-style restaurant consisting of the historic home and five shipping containers that would have been moved onto the property.</p>
<p>The project seemed to be going well until November, when Barber told the CRA board that he and his partner, Rodney Mayo, were having trouble securing the necessary funds to make it happen.</p>
<p>The CRA board gave Barber and Mayo a 30-day extension to get the site plan application submitted, but when the board met on Jan. 11, the members said they had not heard from Barber — by phone, email, or in person — since the November meeting. </p>
<p>Commissioners unanimously agreed, 3-0, to place Barber’s proposal “in default.” </p>
<p>The board did give Barber one statutorily provided last chance to get his financing and paperwork together by the CRA’s Feb. 13 meeting or forfeit the deal. </p>
<p>“We had a very detailed discussion in November,” Vice Mayor Thomas Turkin said. “The purchaser had said, ‘Hold my feet to the fire,’ so that’s what we’re doing.”</p>
<p>In June 2023, the CRA granted the partners a six-month extension to submit a site plan application. Barber said at the time he had submitted two site plans to the city, but they were rejected for being incomplete. At the November meeting, Barber told the CRA board that he might have to ask the city to remove the property’s historic designation — and its attendant restrictions — to make the project more acceptable to lenders.</p>
<p>He said costs had been escalating and banks were generally less optimistic about funding new developments.</p>
<p>“The cost is not the cost we originally projected,” Barber said in November. “We have owner financing of $800,000, but the [construction] cost now is looking like $1.2 million.”</p>
<p>Making matters worse, Barber said, the cost of borrowing money has escalated.</p>
<p>Barber wanted to renovate the two-story Magnuson House, built in 1919, for inside dining. The shipping containers would be used for the kitchen area, walk-in food storage, restrooms, an artisan bar, and a rotisserie grilling area.</p>
<p>The CRA bought the property for $850,000 in 2007, intending to use it for CRA office space, but sold it for $255,000 in 2016 to a restaurant developer after its plans changed.</p>
<p>The CRA took back the property two years later when the restaurant project fell through after the developer realized how expensive it would be to bring the house up to code for a commercial operation. </p>
<p>Barber’s plan seemed more economically feasible. Although he would have to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to restore the house, he theoretically would have been able to avoid more costly commercial upgrades by placing the kitchen and other operations in stand-alone shipping containers — a first in Boynton Beach.</p>
<p>Barber offered to pay the city $240,000 for the property, but that was offset by his intent to seek $50,000 in a CRA commercial improvement grant and another $200,000 in tax incentives. </p>
<p>Rather than make the deal more complicated, commissioners suggested just conveying the property to Barber with deed restrictions — including that it always be a restaurant — and a requirement for specific design features requested by the city. </p>
<p>The house was built around 1919, according to the city historic preservation records.</p>
<p><span style="font-size:14pt;">Hurricane Alley lease extended for a year</span><br />The CRA board granted a one-year extension on the lease of the building at 529 E. Ocean Ave. to allow the popular Hurricane Alley restaurant to continue doing business. </p>
<p>A new home is planned for Hurricane Alley adjacent to The Pierce, a proposed mixed-use development that has been sidelined by a lawsuit over the CRA’s street abandonments for the project. </p></div>Boynton Beach: City grants 30-day extension to proposed Magnuson House eateryhttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/boynton-beach-extension-proposed-magnuson-house-restaurant2023-11-29T15:32:05.000Z2023-11-29T15:32:05.000ZThe Coastal Starhttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/TheCoastalStar<div><p><strong>By Tao Woolfe </strong><br /> <br /> The city has again given an extension to the developers of a restaurant proposed for the grounds of the historic Oscar Magnuson House — even though the project could cause the house to lose its historic designation.</p>
<p>The 30-day extension for the property at 211 E. Ocean Ave. was unanimously approved during the Nov. 13 meeting of the Boynton Beach Community Redevelopment Agency.</p>
<p>Developer Anthony Barber told city commissioners — sitting as the CRA board — that he and his partner were having trouble financing their restaurant project because of rising costs.</p>
<p>“The cost is not the cost we originally projected,” Barber said. “We have owner financing of $800,000, but the [construction] cost now is looking like $1.2 million.”</p>
<p>Making matters worse, Barber said, the cost of borrowing money has escalated.</p>
<p>“We’ve sought financing from a couple of places. Lending rates are terrible right now,” Barber said. “We need more time to get this going.”</p>
<p>About a year ago, Barber told the commission he wants to redevelop the Magnuson House into a 3,000-square-foot, full-service American-style restaurant consisting of the home and five shipping containers.</p>
<p>The restaurant would be open seven days a week and would be called Pauline’s, Barber said, to honor his grandmother.</p>
<p>The plans originally called for renovating the two-story Magnuson House for inside dining. Before completing that renovation, Barber said he planned to use the shipping containers for the kitchen area, walk-in food storage, restrooms, an artisan bar and a rotisserie grilling area.</p>
<p>In June, the CRA granted the partners a six-month extension to submit a site plan application. Barber has said he submitted two site plans to the city, but they were rejected for being incomplete.</p>
<p>Barber told the CRA board last month that he may have to ask the city to remove the Magnuson House’s historic designation — and its attendant restrictions — to make the project more acceptable to lenders.</p>
<p>“We hope to have something within two weeks,” Barber said, referring to word from lenders.</p>
<p>Barber, who also owns Troy’s Barbeque on Federal Highway south of Woolbright Road, told commissioners last year he has lived in Boynton Beach for 35 years and had always wanted to open a restaurant in his home city’s central downtown area.</p>
<p>During their most recent discussion of the matter, city commissioners seemed willing to give Barber an extension of up to six months, but Mayor Ty Penserga said he preferred giving a 30-day extension and revisiting the matter at that point, if necessary.</p>
<p>His colleagues agreed, as did Barber.</p>
<p>“I don’t want to waste anybody’s time,” Barber said.</p>
<p>The Oscar Magnuson House is a two-story wooden structure which was built around 1919, according to the city’s historic preservation program records. The building retains many of its original external features, including the wood frame double-hung sash windows, wood siding and exposed rafter tails at the eaves. Its big front porch has been removed.</p>
<p>The original owner, Oscar Magnuson, ran a fernery on High Ridge Road — somewhere between Gateway Boulevard and Hypoluxo Road, according to historical records. The ferns were packed in ice and shipped by rail to northern markets. Magnuson also grew and grafted mango and avocado trees.</p>
<p>Although originally designed as a single-family residence, the structure and the site were used as a commercial plant nursery in the 1980s, according to city records.</p>
<p>As envisioned, the restaurant would employ some 30 people, Barber has said. Barber’s partner, Rodney Mayo of the Subculture Group, has said he would provide about $1 million in financial backing. The partners’ development company is known as 306 NE 6th Avenue LLC.</p></div>Boynton Beach: Site plan for restaurant at historic house receives extension until Novemberhttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/boynton-beach-site-plan-for-restaurant-at-historic-house-receives2023-06-28T14:50:47.000Z2023-06-28T14:50:47.000ZThe Coastal Starhttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/TheCoastalStar<div><p><strong>By Tao Woolfe</strong></p>
<p>The city has given the developers of a restaurant — to be created partly on the site of the historic Oscar Magnuson house — until November to resubmit their site plan application.</p>
<p>Developer Anthony Barber, who also owns Troy’s Barbeque restaurants in Boynton Beach and West Palm Beach, asked for the extension to work with city staff on the application process. </p>
<p>Barber had submitted two site plan proposals for the property at 211 E. Ocean Ave. to the planning and development department in January, but they were rejected as incomplete.</p>
<p>The City Commission, sitting as the Community Redevelopment Agency board, unanimously agreed to the extension in June.</p>
<p>About a year ago, Barber told the commission he wants to redevelop the Magnuson house into a 3,000-square-foot, full-service American-style restaurant consisting of the home and five shipping containers.</p>
<p>The restaurant would be open seven days a week and would be called Pauline’s, Barber said, to honor his grandmother. </p>
<p>He said he plans to renovate the two-story Magnuson house, built in 1919, for inside dining. Before completing that, Barber plans to use shipping containers for the kitchen area, walk-in food storage, restrooms, an artisan bar, and a rotisserie grilling area.</p>
<p>Barber, whose Boynton Beach barbecue restaurant is located on Federal Highway south of Woolbright Road, told commissioners last year he has lived in Boynton Beach for 35 years and wanted to open a restaurant in his home city’s downtown.</p>
<p>The restaurant will employ some 30 people, Barber said, and he will not seek a loan to finance the venture. Barber’s partner, Rodney Mayo of the Subculture Group, has said he is providing $1 million in financial backing. The partners’ development company is known as 306 NE 6th Avenue, LLC. </p></div>Boynton Beach: Plans steam forward for development of downtownhttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/boynton-beach-plans-steam-forward-for-development-of-downtown2022-06-29T14:32:34.000Z2022-06-29T14:32:34.000ZThe Coastal Starhttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/TheCoastalStar<div><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10604855070,RESIZE_930x{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10604855070,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" width="710" alt="10604855070?profile=RESIZE_710x" /></a><em>Preliminary plans for Affiliated Development’s eight-story, $73 million project in downtown Boynton Beach. The plan will be fine-tuned after details are worked out with the city and existing store owners. <strong>Rendering provided</strong></em></p>
<p><strong>By Tao Woolfe</strong></p>
<p>The future of downtown Boynton Beach development has become clearer in the past few weeks with city approval of a $73 million mixed-use complex and of a new restaurant in and around a historic home, plus action aimed at building a new post office downtown.<br /> The biggest of these projects will be Affiliated Development’s apartment and retail complex along the west side of Federal Highway south of Boynton Beach Boulevard.<br /> The Boynton Beach Community Redevelopment Agency and the developer have agreed on two long-negotiated sticking points in Affiliated’s contract with the CRA.<br /> Although a few details are still pending, the City Commission, serving as CRA board, on June 7 unanimously cleared the way for the project, which includes both affordable and market-rate apartments, restaurants, office, retail, a parking garage and green space.<br /> Construction could begin as soon as 18 months from now, if the developer can quickly obtain the needed land use and land development approvals, Thuy Shutt, the CRA’s executive director, said after the meeting.<br /> The plan provides a new home for Hurricane Alley, a popular bar and restaurant, on Northeast Fourth Street. The new site will have with an outdoor area, as well as 3,000 square feet of indoor seating, according to the plan. <br /> Ace Hardware and other businesses in the area would not be affected, Shutt said.<br /> The city and the Fort Lauderdale-based developer spent months hammering out compromises on the $5.5 million, below-market price Affiliated will pay for the land; on public spaces in the 545-space free-standing, multilevel parking garage; and the number of affordable apartments.<br /> Under the almost-final agreement, the parking garage will provide 150 spaces — above those required by city code — for public use. If Affiliated needs more spaces (up to a maximum of 10), it must lease them from the CRA.<br /> The developer also agreed to provide affordable rental apartment units with this breakdown: 50% (118 units) of the total 236 apartments will remain affordable for 15 years; 30% (about 70 units) will remain affordable for 30 years; and 5% (11 units) will remain affordable in perpetuity.</p>
<p><span style="font-size:14pt;">Plans for new post office</span> <br /> The CRA board voted at its June 14 meeting to seek proposals for a mixed-use commercial space at 401-411 E. Boynton Beach Blvd. that could serve as a new home for the downtown post office.<br /> The existing building at this location, which is owned by the CRA, would be demolished. A newly constructed building would house the United States Post Office, currently at 217 N. Seacrest Blvd., on the first floor. <br /> Other businesses — such as medical offices and/or a tourist information center — could be housed on other floors of a new building, Mayor Ty Penserga suggested.<br /> “Let’s let the developer community come up with something creative,” the mayor said.<br /> Meanwhile, the CRA is expected to acquire the building on North Seacrest in January from the current owners and then, possibly, extend the post office’s lease until a new location is available.<br /> Rich Hancock, a spokesman for USPS, said the post office is committed to staying in downtown Boynton and would be amenable to a new space as long as it can provide 3,200 square feet of retail storefront space and at least 20 parking spaces.<br /> “We are not looking to purchase anything,” Hancock said, but USPS hopes to lease space to establish a “long-term postal unit.”</p>
<p><span style="font-size:14pt;">Broadstone project</span> <br /> The impending construction of the Broadstone Boynton Beach, a 2.76-acre mixed-use complex at South Federal Highway and Southeast First Avenue, will displace 20 employee parking spaces for Two Georges Waterfront Grille.<br /> Fernando Bonilla, of the developer Alliance Residential Co., asked the CRA board on June 14 to allow the temporary use of the CRA-owned parking lots at 115 N. Federal Highway to accommodate the employees.<br /> Alliance was offering to lease the parking lots, but Penserga said he did not want to commit to the deal because it could mean depriving Hurricane Alley of parking spaces and it would be difficult for the city to police the lots.<br /> “Public parking spaces are precious,” the mayor said, and suggested that Alliance approach other businesses for temporary spaces.<br /> Construction on the eight-story Broadstone complex, with 274 multi-family units and ground floor commercial space, is expected to begin in September.</p>
<p><span style="font-size:14pt;">Pauline’s restaurant</span><br /> The historic Oscar Magnuson house, at 211 E. Ocean Ave., is the future home of an American-style restaurant that will be open seven days a week.<br /> Anthony Barber, the new owner of the site, told the City Commission on June 21 that he hopes to open in the next 18 months. He will renovate the two-story house, which was built in 1919, for inside dining. <br /> More immediate, Barber said, he is planning to use big shipping containers for the kitchen area, walk-in food storage, restrooms, an artisan bar, and a rotisserie grilling area.<br /> Barber, who owns Troy’s Barbeque in West Palm Beach and on Federal south of Woolbright Road in Boynton, said he has lived in Boynton Beach for 35 years and looks forward to opening a restaurant in his home city’s downtown.<br /> “This project is very special to me,” Barber said, adding that he will name the restaurant Pauline’s, after his grandmother.<br /> The restaurant will employ some 30 people, Barber said, and he will not seek a loan to finance the venture. Rodney Mayo of the Subculture Group has told the CRA he is providing $1 million in financial backing for Barber’s restaurant and the needed renovations. <br />“We’re partners in the restaurant as well as the property. We’re planning on going into the venture together,” Mayo said in December.<br /> City commissioners unanimously gave preliminary approval to the restaurant.<br /> “Thank you for investing in your city,” said Commissioner Thomas Turkin.<br /> “Congratulations,” said Commissioner Woodrow Hay. “It’s high time we invested back in our own community — especially minority entrepreneurs like yourself.” </p></div>Boynton Beach: Boynton CRA shifts gears, leaves fate of major downtown project undecidedhttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/boynton-beach-boynton-cra-shifts-gears-leaves-fate-of-major-downt2022-03-30T14:44:50.000Z2022-03-30T14:44:50.000ZThe Coastal Starhttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/TheCoastalStar<div><p><strong>By Larry Barszewski</strong></p>
<p>Don’t expect a downtown medley of shops, restaurants, apartments and offices that is planned for city-owned land along the west side of Federal Highway in Boynton Beach to rise anytime soon.<br /> Even if Affiliated Development’s proposal for the property between Ocean Avenue and Boynton Beach Boulevard proceeded on the company’s schedule, it could still be as long as nine years before the first shovel of dirt is turned. The project mix also includes a public parking garage and open space to attract downtown visitors.<br /> It’s not even certain that Affiliated, which was selected in November, will get to do the job. The company had been picked by city commissioners, who were serving in their role as the Community Redevelopment Agency’s board of directors. The CRA owns the property.<br /> Now, what company is awarded the project — and the fate of the project itself — is in the hands of a newly reorganized commission that has two new faces on it following the city’s March elections. A third new member will be appointed by the new commission to fill a vacant seat and finish the term.<br /> Former Mayor Steven Grant worked to nail down an agreement with Affiliated for its $73 million development proposal before he left office, but that effort ran into tough resistance at his final CRA meeting on March 9. After hours of attempting to cram through negotiations at the meeting, other commissioners decided more time was needed.<br /> Departing Commissioner Christina Romelus asked commissioners to ditch Affiliated and go instead with Related Urban, the second-ranked applicant that had offered to make a portion of its apartments be affordable workforce housing in perpetuity. She called the last-minute bartering between the CRA and Affiliated President Jeff Burns at the meeting “highly inappropriate.”<br /> CRA attorney Tara Duhy acknowledged the unusual nature of the all-out push to get the deal done.<br /> “To be clear, obviously we’ve made some changes, to the extent the board wishes to approve this tonight,” Duhy said. “In normal circumstances, I would recommend that we bring it back to you for final approval. We’re going to go through all of these and I will have to do a final legal, technical review because we have been working at Mach speed to get this before you tonight.”<br /> In the end, it was the two commissioners who are remaining — Woodrow Hay and commissioner-turned-Mayor Ty Penserga — who forced a middle ground. Departing Commissioner Justin Katz was absent.<br /> Penserga and Hay did not support Romelus’ request to cut ties with Affiliated or Grant’s rush to finalize a deal with the company. They agreed to have CRA and city staff spend more time negotiating with Affiliated.<br /> That decision came after City Manager Lori LaVerriere, who does not usually participate at CRA meetings, joined the discussion virtually to say more time was needed.<br /> “I just ask that you give it time and don’t negotiate from the public dais. That’s not the way to do that,” LaVerriere said after commissioners had spent three hours doing just that. “And to provide some further input to staff to let us continue to weigh in and see if this is a workable deal.”<br /> Some of the major project elements discussed at the meeting included:<br /> • Affiliated offered 118 of its 236 apartments as workforce housing for 15 years using income-eligibility guidelines, with 11 of those units kept as workforce housing in perpetuity. Commissioners wanted more workforce housing apartments to be kept that way forever, as Related had offered to do with 63 of the 213 units it proposed building.<br /> • Affiliated said it needed to keep all of the increased tax revenue its project produces for a 15-year period as a subsidy to make the workforce housing portion feasible. Commissioners said that was too much and would provide the CRA with no additional money during those years to support other projects. By the end of the night, Burns proposed receiving only 95% of the increased tax revenues annually, and only to an $8 million maximum over the 15 years.<br /> • Affiliated originally wanted the city to pay for and take ownership of the parking garage, which would include 150 public spaces and 423 private ones. Officials did not support that idea. Instead of reimbursing the CRA $5.5 million for the land, as Affiliated initially planned, the company proposed dropping the price of the land to $100 and treating the $5.5 million it would have spent as the city’s purchase price for the public parking spaces. It would be up to the city to decide whether to charge the public to use the spaces or offer them for free.<br /> • Affiliated plans to move Hurricane Alley Raw Bar & Restaurant from its Ocean Avenue location to a new home at the north end of the project, along Boynton Beach Boulevard next to the Florida East Coast Railway tracks. The developer said there may be a lag between when the restaurant would have to vacate its current location and when it could open at its new site.<br /> A major difference between the Affiliated and Related proposals is that Related did not include the current century-old Ocean Avenue buildings, including Hurricane Alley’s home, as part of its project. Instead, it planned to contribute money to help restore them, which also would allow Hurricane Alley to continue business uninterrupted.<br /> Resident David Katz told commissioners that saving those buildings, previously owned by the Oyer family, which has historical roots in the city, was a reason he thought the CRA should go with Related.<br /> “For that reason alone, this developer should not be chosen. To tear that down is, well, maybe not a crime, but it’s a shame,” Katz said.<br /> Related has said it could “restore these important buildings back to life as vibrant landmarks, maintaining the existing commercial fabric of historic Ocean Avenue.” <br /> Grant said the buildings, for which the CRA paid $3.6 million in December to include in the project site, were an impediment. He said the Oyer building “is in gross need of repair but, it’s too gross. It’s something where there’s a reason why it was never historically designated.”<br /> He lamented that the agreement with Affiliated was not accomplished under his leadership.<br /> “It’s very weird for me to have another project on the doorstep of the CRA, and then all of a sudden, it kind of gets pulled back. It reminds me of the Cottage District, where one of the board members felt that they had better options and now it’s vacant and we have no idea what’s going to happen with the 4 acres,” Grant said.<br /> “For the board to say, ‘You know what, Chair, we don’t really want you to make this decision; it’s better for the next people to make these decisions,’ after you’ve been here for six years. It hurts a little and I’ll let you know that.”<br />•<strong> In other action</strong> at the March 9 meeting, commissioners approved an agreement with restaurateur Anthony Barber, subject to final legal review and the CRA’s receiving outstanding financial documents, to purchase and turn the historic Magnuson House on Ocean Avenue into a restaurant that will use corrugated steel shipping containers for kitchen, restroom and storage space. Barber anticipates construction will take about 18 months. </p></div>Boynton Beach: Ocean Avenue home could lose historic designationhttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/boynton-beach-ocean-avenue-home-could-lose-historic-designation2022-02-02T16:05:34.000Z2022-02-02T16:05:34.000ZThe Coastal Starhttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/TheCoastalStar<div><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10065496691,RESIZE_930x{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10065496691,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" width="710" alt="10065496691?profile=RESIZE_710x" /></a></strong><em>The Magnuson House’s historic designation might present a hurdle to the entrepreneur who wants to turn it into a restaurant.</em><strong> Staff photo</strong></p>
<p><strong>By Larry Barszewski</strong></p>
<p>A decade after adding the home of Boynton Beach pioneer Oscar Magnuson to the city’s list of historic resources, the City Commission may strip the home of its protected status.<br /> Commissioners are concerned the home’s historic designation could impede plans by restaurateur Anthony Barber to turn the Ocean Avenue property — currently owned by the Community Redevelopment Agency — into a vibrant downtown eating spot. They worry the designation may require history-related renovations that could prove too costly and dash the redevelopment plans.<br /> At the Jan. 10 CRA meeting, commissioners sitting as the CRA’s governing board voted 4-1 to recommend doing away with the designation. Any formal change would have to be voted on by commissioners at a City Commission meeting.<br /> Only Mayor Steven Grant objected to the recommendation. The CRA plans to sell or transfer the house and property at 211 E. Ocean Ave. to a corporation being formed by Barber.<br /> “If we remove the historical designation, and we sell the property to someone else, that means that they can change their mind and tear it down. Is that a possibility?” Grant asked.<br /> The city’s Historic Resources Preservation Board could still make a recommendation against the house’s demolition even if the designation is gone, but the city would have “even fewer teeth in the process to preserve it,” said Michael Rumpf, who serves as the city’s staff liaison to the preservation board.<br /> Commissioner Justin Katz, who made the motion to recommend removal of the historic designation, does not think the century-old house merits special attention.<br /> “I’ve always been of the belief that while it is an old house, that it is not in my opinion historic,” Katz said.<br /> In an email to <em>The Coastal Star</em> following the meeting, Katz added: “The designation was explicitly put on to qualify the property for potential grants. It was a play at free funding that ultimately never paid off. The building is not historic.”<br /> But Janet DeVries Naughton, past president of the Boynton Beach Historical Society, says the home does have historic value and is probably older than its estimated construction date of 1919.<br />She said she has found documents indicating the home was built in 1913, which she said would make it the second- or third-oldest in city history.<br /> “I not only would like to see the historic designation retained, but I’d also add that the Boynton Beach CRA has the moral responsibility to keep the few historically designated homes in the downtown area,” DeVries said.<br /> Magnuson himself is a historic figure whose home warrants the designation, she said: He founded the 1916 Boynton Growers and Shippers Association; he started the Bank of Boynton; he was one of the town’s original five firemen; and he had significant real estate holdings and public office positions. <br /> At the CRA meeting, Katz said the designation “would dramatically change the landscape of [the restaurant developers’] expectations and proposals if they had to maintain the historic guidelines in their renovation.”<br /> According to Barber’s proposal presented last year, he plans to keep renovation costs down by bringing several large corrugated steel shipping containers on site and converting them into kitchen, storage and restroom space — rather than try to incorporate those uses into the existing building. Dinner seating would include a new, expansive, outdoor patio deck in addition to any indoor seating.<br /> The real cost of the house restoration would most likely be tied to meeting the building code requirements in changing it from a residential to commercial use, CRA Executive Director Thuy Shutt said when contacted following the meeting. <br /> “Removing the designation doesn’t help him lessen his costs in still converting the building into commercial use,” Shutt said. “It may help him in his flexibility of how he may use the site.”<br /> If the designation is removed, the CRA could still put language in the purchase and development agreement to include protections for the house if those are desired, Shutt said.<br /> Barber, who owns Troy’s Barbeque on South Federal Highway, is teaming up with Rodney Mayo of the Subculture Group — which runs restaurants from Jupiter to South Beach — to turn the Magnuson House into a dining spot. Mayo has said he plans to invest $1 million into the effort, including $450,000 to renovate the house, $240,000 to add the shipping containers, and $310,000 for site work and other costs.<br /> In the purchase agreement, the CRA has proposed including a deed restriction limiting the property to a restaurant use for at least 20 years. Another proposed term would give the CRA the right of first refusal should the new owners decide to sell the property within five years of completing the renovation work. Also, the CRA would not transfer title to the property until the work is completed.<br /> The CRA still needs additional information from Barber and Mayo before an agreement can be finalized. </p></div>Boynton Beach: CRA endorses plan for historic restaurant, eyes buying more landhttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/boynton-beach-cra-endorses-plan-for-historic-restaurant-eyes-buyi2021-12-29T15:46:34.000Z2021-12-29T15:46:34.000ZThe Coastal Starhttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/TheCoastalStar<div><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9966142878,RESIZE_930x{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9966142878,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" width="710" alt="9966142878?profile=RESIZE_710x" /></a></strong><em>Anthony Barber plans to turn the historic Magnuson House on Ocean Avenue in Boynton Beach into an American fare restaurant. In addition to using shipping containers to create kitchen, restroom, storage and bar space, the restaurant will have a patio deck that can seat 200 guests.</em> <strong>Rendering provided</strong></p>
<p><strong>By Larry Barszewski</strong></p>
<p>A historic home on Ocean Avenue has moved a step closer to becoming a first-of-its-kind restaurant for Boynton Beach, one that will use corrugated steel shipping containers for its kitchen, freezer, restroom and bar facilities.<br /> Meanwhile, the city’s Community Redevelopment Agency is considering whether to spend $3 million on land directly north of the restaurant site for a future project.<br /> The CRA plans to deed the 102-year-old Magnuson House at 211 E. Ocean Ave. to restaurateur Anthony Barber, who operates Troy’s Barbeque on South Federal Highway.<br /> Barber’s idea is to restore the house so it can be used for indoor dining, while adding refurbished shipping containers — a 40-foot one and three 20-foot ones — behind the house. He also expects to add outdoor dining on a new patio deck that can seat 200 guests, with American fare on the menu.<br /> “We look to revitalize this property and make it a destination location for Ocean Avenue in Boynton Beach, something that can stand for many, many years to come,” Barber told city commissioners, who serve as the CRA’s governing board, at the CRA’s Dec. 14 meeting.<br /> The board voted 4-0 to accept Barber’s letter of intent for the property and to develop a final agreement with him that would also need board approval.</p>
<p><span style="font-size:14pt;">New land deal considered</span><br /> Commissioners may also try to reach a deal to buy the Green Acres Condominiums site to the north of the Magnuson property from owner Brian Fitzpatrick. Fitzpatrick began acquiring condominium units in 1986 — he now owns all but one of the 10 — but has been unsuccessful in enticing someone to redevelop the property.<br /> Fitzpatrick is offering to sell two parcels — the Green Acres one at Northeast First Street and First Avenue, and a vacant lot at 409 NE First St. next to the city’s proposed Cottage District — to the CRA for $3 million. He said the other condo owner is also willing to sell his unit.<br /> Commissioners said they are interested in buying the condo property to have a say in what is developed there, but the CRA doesn’t have the money in the current budget to pay for such a purchase. Commissioners said they would consider a deal to pay for the properties over the next two to three years.<br /> Fitzpatrick’s past attempts to see his property packaged and developed along with the CRA-owned Magnuson House site were stymied in part by the house itself and what it would cost for a developer to restore it. He previously suggested the city move the house to make the block more attractive to developers.</p>
<p><span style="font-size:14pt;">Restaurant finds a partner</span><br />Commissioners have warmed to the idea of the Magnuson House as a restaurant to serve downtown visitors. The CRA, which bought the property for $850,000 in 2007 intending to use it for CRA office space, sold the property for $255,000 in 2016 to a restaurant developer after its plans changed.<br /> The CRA took back the property two years later when the restaurant project fell through once the developer realized the costly work needed to bring the house up to code for a commercial operation. <br /> Barber’s plan, while still spending hundreds of thousands of dollars to restore the house, avoids more costly commercial upgrades by placing the kitchen and other operations in stand-alone shipping containers — a first in Boynton Beach.<br /> Barber offered to pay the city $240,000 for the property, but that was offset by his intent to seek $50,000 in a CRA commercial improvement grant and another $200,000 in tax incentives. <br /> Rather than make the deal more complicated, commissioners suggested just conveying the property to Barber with deed restrictions — including that it always be a restaurant — and a requirement for specific design features the city may want. <br /> Mayor Steven Grant said any changes to the Magnuson House would have to go before the city’s Special Historic Resources Preservation Board and City Commission because it is designated a local historical resource. Commissioners hope to have a signed purchase and sale agreement in February. <br /> “I’m not in the land development business,” Barber said. “You can kind of rest assured that for the foreseeable future, barring major tornadoes, hurricanes, landslides, tsunamis, you’ll have a restaurant on Ocean Avenue.”<br /> Rodney Mayo of the Subculture Group said he is providing $1 million in financial backing for Barber’s restaurant and the needed renovations. The Subculture Group runs restaurants from Jupiter to South Beach, including Kapow! in Boca Raton’s Mizner Park, Dada in downtown Delray Beach and Respectable Street in West Palm Beach. Mayo expects the restaurant will take 14 months to complete once permits are pulled.<br /> “We’re partners in the restaurant as well as the property. We’re planning on going into this venture together,” Mayo said.<br />The CRA had another proposal for the Magnuson House, one that didn’t have the downtown draw commissioners were seeking. <br /> James Barton, CEO of Florida Technical Consultants, offered to use the house as FTC’s offices and a new training center. Barton’s business is in an Ocean Avenue building that is supposed to be torn down for another development — one of three buildings that had been owned by the Oyer family. The CRA closed on a purchase deal Dec. 17, buying the three buildings at 511, 515 and 529 E. Ocean Ave. for $3.6 million.</p>
<p><span style="font-size:14pt;">Negotiations underway</span><br /> The Oyer buildings are expected to be demolished as part of a new project by Affiliated Development. The CRA selected Affiliated in November to develop CRA-owned land on the west side of Federal Highway, extending from Ocean Avenue to Boynton Beach Boulevard. The two sides are now negotiating an agreement.<br /> Affiliated plans to build 236 apartments, with half considered to have workforce housing rents. It also plans restaurant, retail and office space and a parking garage. <br /> Affiliated’s proposal would move Hurricane Alley Raw Bar and Restaurant from its Ocean Avenue location to expanded space on the north side of the project, on Boynton Beach Boulevard alongside the Florida East Coast Railway tracks, allowing it to remain open until the move into the new location.<br /> In addition to the CRA properties, Affiliated has a contract to purchase the Ocean Food Mart site on the northwest corner of Ocean Avenue and Federal Highway to include in the project.<br /> The Affiliated project also includes a significant amount of open space. The Affiliated proposal would put freestanding restaurant and retail buildings on Ocean Avenue where Hurricane Alley now stands, surrounding the buildings with more open space and pedestrian-friendly areas connected to the existing Dewey Park.</p>
<p><span style="font-size:14pt;">Boardwalk deal offered</span><br /> Hyperion Development Group, which plans a mixed-use development on former CRA-owned property on the east side of Federal Highway across from the Affiliated project, is also buying land on the west side that could be added to Affiliated’s project.<br /> Hyperion CEO Robert Vecsler said his company is planning to purchase the Boardwalk Italian Ice & Creamery site on Federal Highway. He suggested then selling the property to the CRA in exchange for tax incentives for Hyperion’s project on the east side of Federal Highway. Commissioners were reluctant to tangle the two projects, but asked Hyperion to put its offer in writing for staff to review.<br /> Grant was also interested in seeing if Affiliated would add more commercial space in its project if the Boardwalk site were added to it.</p></div>Boynton Beach: Ocean Avenue signs of change: Restaurant, butcher shop, land deal in workshttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/boynton-beach-ocean-avenue-signs-of-change-restaurant-butcher-sho2021-09-29T16:15:06.000Z2021-09-29T16:15:06.000ZThe Coastal Starhttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/TheCoastalStar<div><p><strong><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9624346699,RESIZE_930x{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9624346699,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" width="710" alt="9624346699?profile=RESIZE_710x" /></a></strong></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><em>Southeast corner view of proposed restaurant at the Magnuson House. </em><strong>Rendering provided</strong></p>
<p><strong>By Larry Barszewski</strong><br /> <br />Two new food establishments and a major real estate transaction — all now in the works — could signal a new stage in the revitalization of Ocean Avenue in downtown Boynton Beach.<br /> The city’s goal of turning the street into a South Florida destination spot could come closer to fruition because of changes planned or proposed at some of the oldest buildings on Ocean Avenue. The changes include:<br /> • The $3.6 million sale of a trio of early city commercial buildings — including one housing the Hurricane Alley Restaurant and Raw Bar — to the Community Redevelopment Agency. The CRA would then make the properties available for a larger project on the west side of Federal Highway from Ocean Avenue to Boynton Beach Boulevard.<br /> • The conversion of the historic Magnuson House into an indoor-outdoor restaurant. The century-old Ocean Avenue fixture has been vacant for at least 14 years. The owner of Troy’s Barbeque wants to create an “All-American dining restaurant” on the site, using 40-foot and 20-foot long corrugated shipping containers for the restaurant’s kitchen, bar and restrooms.<br /> • The opening of a gourmet butcher, market, eatery and catering establishment in another pioneer-era building on the avenue. Nicholson Muir Meats is leasing the historic Ruth Jones Cottage and working toward a Nov. 1 opening.</p>
<p><span style="font-size:14pt;">Oyer buildings on the block</span><br /> The CRA has until the end of the year to lock down the purchase of three buildings owned by the Oyer family that are critical to the agency’s redevelopment plans. The buildings are at 511, 515 and 529 E. Ocean Avenue.<br /> If the CRA can’t close the deal by Dec. 31 with Harvey Oyer, who is representing his family’s properties, then Oyer will likely turn to private developers offering more money. Oyer said he’s willing to sell to the CRA for less than he might receive from a private developer because he needs a quick sale to avoid a capital gains tax hit he anticipates is coming from the federal government.<br /> “It’s driven entirely by tax issues,” Oyer told city commissioners.<br /> Commissioners, who also serve as the CRA board, negotiated details of the sale with Oyer at the CRA’s Sept. 14 meeting. The items include an up-to-$200,000 nonrefundable deposit if the deal falls apart, accepting the buildings “as is,” and allowing yearlong renewal leases with existing tenants that can be terminated upon 90 days’ notice.<br /> Commissioners do not want any leases signed with new tenants, even though such leases would provide rental income to the CRA until a new project moves forward. Commissioners said they want to avoid any additional complications that might surface with new contracts that could interfere with a future redevelopment.<br /> The commission’s position likely will prevent the Surfing Florida Museum from getting available storefront space it wanted to coincide with the Boynton Beach Haunted Pirate Fest and Mermaid Splash, which is set for Oct. 30-31 downtown. Museum officials had hoped to use the space for a pop-up exhibit depicting 100 years of surfing in Florida.<br /> The Oyer properties are to be included in a larger development with CRA-owned properties to the north. The CRA is now accepting development proposals for the 115 N. Federal Highway project.<br /> Oyer also requested that the Oyer Insurance sign painted on one of the buildings be salvaged for its historical value and be placed somewhere visible to the public, which the CRA agreed to do if the cost does not exceed $20,000.<br /> “Over time, every original historic [commercial] building on your original business street has been torn down,” Oyer said. “I think it would be sad to do away with all three of those buildings and signage without the ability to save the signage.”</p>
<p><span style="font-size:14pt;">New interest in old house</span><br /> A few blocks west on Ocean Avenue, the CRA had been stymied in its attempts to use the Magnuson House in its redevelopment plans. The building has needed costly renovations to enable it to meet code requirements for a commercial enterprise. <br /> Restaurateur Anthony Barber thinks he has a viable alternative: Place all the commercial uses in portable shipping containers, while using the house to seat dinner guests. The revamped storage containers would be behind the house and outdoor seating would be added on patios around the building.<br /> An addition previously placed on the rear of the house would be demolished, said Barber, who also owns Troy’s Barbeque.<br /> City commissioners agreed to work with Barber to see if a financial agreement can be reached on the lease or sale of the CRA-owned property.<br /> However, after Barber notified the city of his interest in the building in July, others have come forward with their own proposals for using the building. Commissioners have given them until Oct. 29 to put together more complete proposals that could be compared with Barber’s.<br /> Two of the plans come from businesses currently in the Oyer buildings that would be displaced by a redevelopment project.<br /> The proposals include:<br /> • Creating a new location for Hurricane Alley. Owner Kim Kelly’s proposal said Hurricane Alley would use the main house for seating guests and office space, with construction of another building behind the house for the kitchen and restrooms, and a tiki hut bar area. The plan also would include a two-year extension of her current lease to allow Hurricane Alley to stay open during the renovations.<br /> • Turning the property into an office and training center for Florida Technical Consultants. The company, a civil engineering firm located in one of the Oyer buildings, wants to provide on-site classes for geographic information system mapping.<br /> • Two separate requests from adjacent property owners. Brian Fitzpatrick wants to combine the site with his property to the north, while Sami and Salam Dagher requested combining it with their land to the west. Either proposal could allow for a larger mixed-use development and both requested the Magnuson House be moved. Commissioners suggested the two property owners should present a combined proposal.<br /> Commissioners said most of the plans lacked sufficient information for them to decide, so they gave the proponents time to submit additional details while the CRA moves forward in its discussions with Barber. <br /> While some commissioners said they eventually see the Magnuson property as part of a larger development, they also said it was possible the development could happen around the restaurant if Barber’s establishment succeeds.<br /> The CRA must decide if it wants to lease or sell the property. <br /> Commissioner Christina Romelus supports selling the property to Barber, which would provide an opportunity to have a local, minority-owned business in the heart of the downtown.<br /> “We’ve seen what Hurricane Alley has been able to do over the last 25 years. What could be able to potentially happen with the Barber family here over the next 25 years if we permit this project to move forward?” Romelus said. “This is an opportunity to make something new, make something that’s different, bring a whole different vibe and essence to our downtown. And I want to see that. That’s a legacy that I’d like to leave behind.”<br /> Commissioner Ty Penserga said a five-year lease with renewal options may be a better idea, to make sure the restaurant can succeed before the CRA gives up control of the property. “In five years, we’ll know where you’re going, if you’re here for the long run,” he said.</p>
<p><span style="font-size:14pt;">Gourmet butcher on way</span><br /> The former Ruth Jones Cottage looked to be heading for success after being moved several blocks east on the avenue in 2011. It was first home to the Little House Restaurant and later Chez Andrea’s Gourmet Provence. But Chez Andrea’s, a French restaurant, opened just as the pandemic arrived and was not able to make a go of it. It closed in January. <br /> Now James Muir has come to the city from New York and signed a lease for Nicholson Muir Meats, filing his incorporation papers in July. Interior renovations for the new establishment at the cottage were ongoing in September.<br /> Muir owned a catering service and restaurant called Artaux in Sea Cliff, New York. The restaurant, now closed, received an “excellent” rating in a 2015 New York Times review for its “creative and delicious foods.” The catering company is still in business, Muir said.<br /> Muir lives in Boynton Beach and picked the Ruth Jones Cottage because “it is very central to everything” and has “great access to the bridge” connecting to the barrier island communities. “I thought that the specific location was great. It has a lot of character, that cottage.”<br /> The establishment will have a butcher counter featuring wagyu beef from Australia, Japan and the United States, prepared foods and a small restaurant with fewer than 20 seats, Muir said. He plans to offer off-site and on-site catering, Saturday evening tastings and memberships that provide special pricing, products and tastings.<br /> “We’re going to focus more on super high-end products,” Muir said. “We’ll have some retail items … a lot of prepared foods, grab-and-go salads, things like that.” <br /> The restaurant’s operating hours are still to be determined, he said. </p></div>Boynton Beach: ‘Funky’ idea for preserving historic house: Eatery with railroad crates for more spacehttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/boynton-beach-funky-idea-for-preserving-historic-house-eatery-wit2021-08-04T15:04:08.000Z2021-08-04T15:04:08.000ZThe Coastal Starhttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/TheCoastalStar<div><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9380625862,RESIZE_930x{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9380625862,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" width="710" alt="9380625862?profile=RESIZE_710x" /></a><em>Anthony Barber envisions the 1919 Oscar Magnuson house as only the indoor seating part of his proposed restaurant. He could buy the property, lease it, or the city could consider other ideas for the vacant building. </em><strong>Coastal Star photo</strong></p>
<p><strong>By Larry Barszewski</strong></p>
<p>The only shipping containers ever seen on Ocean Avenue are usually being transported on freight trains rumbling down the railroad tracks that cross the downtown Boynton Beach street.<br /> But if Anthony Barber has his wish, he’ll use up to a half-dozen shipping containers to turn a languishing historic home on the avenue into a restaurant success.<br /> Boynton Beach city commissioners may let Barber take a stab at trying to make something out of the 1919 Oscar Magnuson house at 211 E. Ocean Ave., just east of the Schoolhouse Children’s Museum and Learning Center. <br /> The historic property sits unused and in disrepair in the heart of the city’s redevelopment area, largely because developers have found converting the century-old house to a commercial use to be cost prohibitive.<br /> Barber would have shipping containers as the restaurant’s kitchen and bathroom spaces, reducing renovation costs, while using the historic house and constructing a new outdoor patio for seating dinner guests. The containers are typically corrugated steel, 8-by-8.5 feet and 20 or 40 feet long.<br /> Barber, who previously served on the CRA’s advisory board, would place the shipping containers to the rear of the house and dress them up to blend in with the overall look of the property.<br /> Commissioners, acting as the Community Redevelopment Agency’s governing board, agreed to accept a letter of interest from Barber for developing the CRA-owned property at the CRA’s July 13 meeting. That acceptance allows anyone else interested in using the property to submit proposals by the time of the board’s September meeting.<br /> Commissioners will then decide whether to let Barber’s plan move forward, select a different proposal, or decide to reject all proposals and leave the property alone for now.<br /> Barber currently owns Troy’s Barbeque on South Federal Highway in the city. His stepfather, Troy Davis, initially began the business 25 years ago from a roadside stand. Barber is getting set to open a second restaurant on Georgia Avenue in West Palm Beach after a failed 2019 venture in Boca Raton, where Barber said his restaurant at Glades Road and Dixie Highway just wasn’t in a good location to generate business.<br /> Boynton Mayor Steven Grant said he would rather see a mixed-use development — which would bring in more tax revenue to the city — and not shipping containers on the avenue. A mixed-use project would also involve combining several adjacent properties and would be more in character with other planned redevelopment downtown, he said.<br />“We’re talking about all of these other high-end developments that are coming. I don’t think that the shipping containers on Ocean Avenue is necessarily the best fit,” Grant said. But Commissioner Justin Katz said nothing else has worked so far to get the property redeveloped.<br /> The CRA purchased the Magnuson house in 2007 for $850,000, initially expecting to turn the building into the CRA’s offices. The CRA moved to a different location on Federal Highway instead and has since been unable to get the Ocean Avenue property developed. <br /> The CRA sold the property for $255,000 in 2016 to a restaurant developer, but took back the property two years later after the restaurant project fell through.<br /> “I’m open to exploring this idea, if only because previous attempts to consolidate those lots didn’t bear any fruit,” Katz said. “We’ve had this property forever. It has been worthless.”<br /> Although Barber is interested in buying the property, CRA Executive Director Michael Simon said the site could be leased to Barber with the idea of working his restaurant into any future redevelopment project. Simon is leaving the CRA, having submitted his letter of resignation in June. He plans to leave Aug. 12 following the CRA’s August meeting.<br /> Commissioner Christina Romelus would like to see Barber’s restaurant, which he said would not be a barbecue establishment, be a permanent fixture downtown.<br /> “You have been a local success story that I think is exemplary of what a Boynton Beach business has the capability of doing,” Romelus said. “I want something funky and unique and different, because that’s what Ocean Avenue has to be in order for it to become the vibrant downtown we want it to be. We can’t just create a lot of mixed-use properties all up and down Ocean Avenue and think that’s what’s going to make us viable.” <br /> An adjacent property owner who would like to do his own redevelopment of the property spoke against Barber’s plan.<br /> Brian Fitzpatrick said he has been trying for 35 years to put a development together that would include the property — only to have the Magnuson house be a sticking point for any prospective developer. He said the house should be moved.<br /> “You are not going to find a more willing, flexible individual to do business with. I envision a public-private partnership where the city retains equity,” Fitzpatrick told commissioners. “What I’m offering you is the possibility of creating something great.”<br /> Grant told Fitzpatrick he could submit his own offer if he desired, but he’d probably have to come up with something more substantial if he wants to convince commissioners.<br /> “We’re not going to be sold on possibilities. We want to be sold on realities,” the mayor said. <br />“We need to have the reality if you want to get a mixed-use project.” </p></div>Boynton Beach: Magnuson house can stay put for nowhttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/boynton-beach-magnuson-house-can-stay-put-for-now2019-01-30T16:30:49.000Z2019-01-30T16:30:49.000ZMary Kate Leminghttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/MaryKateLeming769<div><p class="p1" style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960834288,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960834288,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" alt="7960834288?profile=original" /></a><em>The historic Magnuson house has been vacant for decades. <b>Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star</b></em></p>
<p class="p1"></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1"><b>By Jane Smith</b></span></p>
<p class="p3">The historic Oscar Magnuson house at 211 E. Ocean Ave. can stay at its current location while Boynton Beach builds its Town Square project on 16 acres to the west.</p>
<p class="p3">The city’s Community Redevelopment Agency, composed of the city commissioners, agreed at its January meeting that there was no rush to do anything with the two-story building, which sits on .3 of an acre.</p>
<p class="p3">“With Town Square being developed, let it stay where it is,” said board member Mack McCray.</p>
<p class="p3">“There’s a lot of history in the old houses,” said board member Aimee Kelley. “With Town Square coming up, maybe a family will want to restore it.”</p>
<p class="p3">The fate of the 100-year-old home was discussed at the CRA’s November meeting. The agency had bought back the building in August.</p>
<p class="p3">The CRA had sold the house for $255,000 in September 2016 to a Philadelphia-based developer with the promise that it would hold a restaurant. But that didn’t happen, which allowed the CRA to exercise the reverter clause in the sales contract.</p>
<p class="p3">The roughly 1,500-square-foot house is listed among the city’s historic properties. The CRA had paid $850,000 in 2007 for the house, built about 1919 by Swedish immigrant and farmer Oscar Sten Magnuson. His wife, Eunice Benson Magnuson, was one of the first town clerks.</p>
<p class="p3">“We’re at a crossroads of what to do with the property,”<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span> Michael Simon, CRA executive director, told the city’s Historic Resource Preservation Board in late November.</p>
<p class="p3">Potential solutions were discussed, including uses that would not require the building to be made wheelchair accessible.</p>
<p class="p3">“Why not an art or music studio?” said Barbara Ready, board chairwoman.</p>
<p class="p3">The board members ranked their options as: Keep Magnuson where it is and find another use for it, move it to another section of the city and, last, demolish it.</p>
<p class="p3">The private developer of Town Square, E2L Real Estate Solutions, had said it might be interested in parking construction vehicles on the Magnuson house land. But the developer has not presented a contract, detailing the number of vehicles and the length of time, Simon said.</p>
<p class="p3">Town Square will create a downtown for Boynton Beach with a renovated historic high school, a new city hall/library building, fire station, amphitheater, playground and parking garages. The private development includes a hotel, apartments and retail and office space.</p>
<p class="p3">CRA board member Justin Katz does not want the city or the agency to put more money into the Magnuson house.</p>
<p class="p3">“I agree with McCray that the house can rest there,” Katz said at the January meeting. “But what can we do as a CRA board?”</p>
<p class="p3">Ready said, “I am pleased. Let’s let the dust settle on Town Square before we do anything more.”<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p></div>Boynton Beach: Old-house restaurants’ work delayedhttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/boynton-beach-old-house-restaurants-work-delayed2018-01-31T18:18:52.000Z2018-01-31T18:18:52.000ZThe Coastal Starhttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/TheCoastalStar<div><p><strong>By Jane Smith</strong></p>
<p>The Boynton Beach Community Redevelopment Agency’s effort to convert old homes into restaurants has hit some more snags.<br /> For the historic Magnuson House at 211 E. Ocean Ave., the CRA will let the owner proceed at his own pace after a motion to take the property back failed at the agency’s January meeting.<br /> “We’ve been more than generous as to the time,” said Joe Casello, a board member and Boynton Beach city commissioner. He along with Mayor Steven Grant voted to begin the process to take the property back.<br /> The three other members — Justin Katz, Mack McCray and Christine Romelus — voted not to proceed.<br /> “I’m worried that we would have to incur substantial, unknown costs,” Katz said.<br /> The two-story home was sold to a Philadelphia-based developer in October 2015. Since then, the owner has submitted architectural drawings and revisions, but Boynton Beach staff is still waiting for more answers. The last round was submitted in May.<br /> In December, the agency’s attorney sent the owner a letter to speed up the process, said Michael Simon, executive director.<br /> “But nothing was submitted as of today,” Simon told the board members Jan. 18. <br /> Neither the owner, Steve Labov of Shovel Ready Projects in Philadelphia, nor the architect, Jim Williams of AW Architects in Boca Raton, could be reached for comment.<br />Meanwhile, the eatery going into what was known as the Little House has a June opening date, said Lisa Mercado, the operator of what will be called Fork Play. It will serve light bites and craft beers and wine at 480 E. Ocean Ave.<br /> The opening will coincide with the completion of the nearby apartment project 500 Ocean.<br /> In December, the project’s owners asked for a six-month extension from the agency. They could not meet a Dec. 31 completion date. <br /> Board members grudgingly agreed because the project was supposed to be finished in time to get on the 2018 tax rolls and give the agency some income to do more projects. The county property appraiser assesses all existing properties as of Jan. 1.<br /> Fork Play’s owners also received a fourth extension in December. Its owners enclosed the porch with impact windows, installed a new metal roof and paid for other upgrades.</p></div>Boynton Beach: Grant money helps eateries open, move, improvehttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/boynton-beach-grant-money-helps-eateries-open-move-improve2017-08-30T15:12:51.000Z2017-08-30T15:12:51.000ZThe Coastal Starhttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/TheCoastalStar<div><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960734475,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960734475,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" width="452" alt="7960734475?profile=original" /></a><em>Construction is nearing completion to transform the Little House into Fork Play. <strong>Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star</strong></em></p>
<p></p>
<p><strong>By Jane Smith</strong><br /><br /> Restaurant owner Brian Nickerson is the kind of restaurateur the city’s Community Redevelopment Agency wants to attract. <br /> Nickerson, who started with a food truck selling his version of Mexican fare, operated out of a former Pantry Pride location that had “parking challenges,” no air conditioning and no restrooms for its patrons.<br /> By the second week of September, his Boss Tacos will move about 2 miles north to 1550 N. Federal Highway. The Boynton Beach plaza has ample parking, and the space will have restrooms and air conditioning. <br /> “The place we’re in now is hot and sweaty in the summer,” Nickerson said. “We lose half of our business in the summer.”<br /> In August, his restaurant was approved for a matching rent grant up to $15,000 because the food is locally sourced and made on site.<br /> Boss Tacos is one of the restaurants and other food-related places flocking to eastern Boynton Beach, partially because of the agency’s economic grants. <br /> This budget year, the agency awarded about 33 percent of the grants to eateries, said Theresa Utterback, development services specialist for the CRA. <br /> One recent recipient was Troy’s Bar-Be-Que restaurant, part of the city for more than 20 years.<br /> “I looked online and found them,” Anthony Barber said about the grants. “We wanted to move.”<br /> In late spring, Troy’s moved about 2 miles south of its takeout stand on North Federal Highway to a sit-down restaurant on South Federal, just south of Woolbright Road.<br /> “The grants are reimbursement for the money you spend,” said Barber, an owner/manager at Troy’s. “When we submit the paperwork and receive the money, we will reinvest it in the business.” <br /> His father, Troy Davis, opened the rib takeout stand in 1996.<br /> In June, the agency board approved Troy’s to receive an interior build-out grant of $8,000, a sign grant of $594 and rent reimbursement of $15,000.<br /> Besides requiring multiyear leases and the grant recipients to provide matching money, the agency has several safeguards before the taxpayer dollars are given, Utterback said. <br /> The agency staff runs credit reports on each corporate officer/manager. The average credit score cannot be below 601 and no bankruptcies can appear on the credit reports or the grant applicant is disqualified, she said. <br /> All appropriate permits must be applied for and no money is released until the city issues a certificate of occupancy or certificate of completion, she said. In addition, agency rules require state corporate documents to be current. Business tax receipts for Boynton Beach and Palm Beach County must be provided. <br /> For the build-out grants, final release of liens from all contractors must be provided. Then, agency staff does a lien search to ensure no liens remain on the leased property. The landlord must sign the grant applications. <br /> Interior build-out and commercial façade grant dollars apply only to improvements that stay with the building, not for the tenant’s equipment. That way, the space remains improved for the next tenant, Utterback said. <br /> Completed applications are forwarded to the agency board for approval. <br /> Fork Play, which will go into the former cottage known as the Little House, had the grants made part of its purchase agreement. After the restaurant opens in late September, property owner Richard Lucibella and his partner, Barbara Ceuleers, can apply for a $25,000 façade grant, 3.3 percent of the construction cost not to exceed $66,000 and interior build-out costs not to exceed $45,000.<br /> Fork Play will feature small bites, called tapas, and wines and craft brews. The eatery at 480 E. Ocean Ave. will be run by Lisa Mercado, who also operates the Living Room restaurant in Boynton Beach. She plans to hold a soft opening the week before the Sept. 30 grand opening.<br /> The historic Magnuson House owner, Bruce Kaplan, has the same deal for the grants. In addition, the house at 211 E. Ocean Ave. had never been used as a restaurant. The agency will give Kaplan an extra $200,000 to do the conversion.<br /> Kaplan, who lives in the Philadelphia area, has made several visits to interview contractors and restaurant operators, said his architect, Jim Williams. <br /> “Once [Kaplan] picks a contractor, then we can get the building permits,” Williams said. <br /> Construction will take at least eight months, pushing the restaurant’s opening into summer of next year, he said. <br /> Del Sol Bakery opened in May in Ocean Palm Plaza at 1600 N. Federal Highway. Its grant of $1,100 for interior build-out was approved in July 2016. The grant amount was increased to $3,010 in May after the bakery tenants completed some of the improvements the landlord had agreed to do. The bakery also received a rent reimbursement grant of $8,550 and a signage grant of $2,250.<br /> “The grants are very helpful, especially for a new business,” said bakery owner Michelle Gingold. “They’re definitely worth filling out the paperwork. We have received some of the money already.”<br /> Gingold said she looked in Delray Beach first, but there is less competition in Boynton Beach. “We like being in an upcoming area,” she said.<br /> Earlier this year, Jim Guilbeault, who received three CRA grants, changed the name of his casual restaurant from Culinary To Go to Gilby’s Restaurant. The name better reflects what’s happening inside the former Denny’s diner on South Federal Highway. <br /> He chose Gilby because he answered to that nickname in high school. Friends could not figure out how to say his last name (pronounced GILL-bow), so they shortened it to Gilby. His kids when they were in high school also were called by that name.<br /> Guilbeault’s 15-year-old catering business will remain under the Culinary Solutions name. It provides food and beverages to Kravis Center events, along with catering birthday parties, bar mitzvahs and other celebrations.<br /> Guilbeault’s son is working with the CRA’s two new social media business consultants — Matthew Meinzer and Jamil Donith. They will help Gilby’s improve its social media presence.</p></div>Boynton Beach: Restaurants move slowly toward openinghttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/boynton-beach-restaurants-move-slowly-toward-opening2017-03-29T18:43:14.000Z2017-03-29T18:43:14.000ZThe Coastal Starhttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/TheCoastalStar<div><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960720456,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960720456,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" width="200" alt="7960720456?profile=original" /></a></strong></p>
<p><strong>By Jane Smith</strong><br /><br /> The restaurant once known as the Little House will reopen this summer as Fork Play.<br /> A late decision by the owners, former Ocean Ridge Vice Mayor Richard Lucibella and his partner, to enclose the eatery’s outside porch led to a delay. They wanted to increase the restaurant’s space by 525 square feet and add 30 seats. The Boynton Beach City Commission granted that approval in June.<br /> But it took months before permits were issued, following the submittal of a construction permit application. The city building department issued the permits in early February, allowing work to resume on the restaurant. <br /> At the March 15 Community Redevelopment Agency meeting, board members received an update on this restaurant from Michael Simon, interim executive director of the CRA.<br /> “We have no control over city staff doing the reviews,” Simon said. <br /> Lucibella’s company paid the CRA $335,000 in April 2016 for the 768-square-foot structure at 480 E. Ocean Ave. <br /> The contractor needs another six to eight weeks to finish his work, Eleanor Krusell, city spokeswoman, said in mid-March. <br /> Then, restaurateur Lisa Mercado can begin her work on the inside to outfit the building as an eatery. That work will take about six weeks, she said.<br /> “I can’t wait for everyone to stop asking me ‘when,’” she said. Every night at her other Boynton Beach restaurant, the Living Room on Congress Avenue, customers ask her when Fork Play will open.<br /> For the restaurant in the Magnuson House at 211 E. Ocean Ave., the approval process is moving forward more slowly. The architect submitted plans Dec. 30, Simon told the CRA board.<br /> AW Architects has received comments from city planning staff and is in the process of answering them, Simon said. <br /> CRA board member Joe Casello said he’s heard that the owner can’t find a restaurant operator.<br /> The owner still plans to operate a restaurant there and is using the comment period to interview operators and contractors, Simon said.<br /> A division of Local Development Co. in Philadelphia paid $255,000 to the CRA in September. The two-story home needed extensive work to be converted into a restaurant.<br /><br /></p></div>Boynton Beach: City OKs addition to historic house turned eateryhttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/boynton-beach-city-oks-addition-to-historic-house-turned-eatery2016-08-31T15:58:09.000Z2016-08-31T15:58:09.000ZThe Coastal Starhttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/TheCoastalStar<div><p><strong>By Jane Smith</strong><br /><br /> The Oscar Magnuson House is working its way through the Boynton Beach approval process to become a restaurant that specializes in light bites and craft beers.<br /> The proposed owner of the 1,500-square-foot house received City Commission approval Aug. 16 to add 1,266 square feet to the rear of the house for a kitchen, restrooms and a portion of the bar. A rear porch, added in the 1950s, will be demolished. The tapas eatery will seat 183 diners.<br /> Instead of a wall separating the business from the three-story condo building on the east, the Planning and Development Board recommended “lots of landscaping” would work better. Diners and employees will park in the new lot at Northeast First Avenue and Northeast First Street. The buyer, a division of Local Development Co. of Philadelphia, has 45 days to close on the house, still owned by the city’s Community Redevelopment Agency. <br /> The purchase price of $255,000 translates into a loss for the CRA. The agency had paid $850,000 in 2007 for the house, built about 1910 by Swedish immigrant and farmer Oscar Sten Magnuson. His wife, Eunice Benson Magnuson, was one of the first town clerks. <br /> The CRA also is offering $200,000 to help with the conversion of the house into a restaurant, plus available grants.<br /> Architect Jim Williams, of Boca Raton, is working on construction drawings that will take three to four months to finish. He expects the still-unnamed restaurant to open in the fourth quarter of 2017. <br /> The house carries a local historic designation, meaning the city’s Historic Resources Preservation Board had to approve the renovations. <br /> The changes include a covered patio/outdoor dining area on the east side, a bocce ball court on the north side, fire pits on the north and east sides, and different paint colors for the exterior.</p></div>Boynton Beach: Historic Ocean Avenue homes inch closer to restaurant useshttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/boynton-beach-historic-ocean-avenue-homes-inch-closer-to-restaura2016-02-04T15:34:41.000Z2016-02-04T15:34:41.000ZChris Felkerhttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/ChrisFelker<div><p><strong>By Jane Smith</strong><br /><br /> Two historic homes on Ocean Avenue in Boynton Beach are moving closer to becoming restaurants.<br /> For the Magnuson House at 211 E. Ocean Ave., the city’s Community Redevelopment Agency board approved a 60-day extension in January for the Local Development Corp. to explore a new restaurant concept.<br /> “The original concept of an Italian restaurant would not work in this location,” said broker Tom Prakas, who represented the Philadelphia-based Local Development Co. Instead, the buyer is proposing a casual, hip beer garden with barbecue areas and lots of outdoor activities.<br /> They plan to serve “smoked barbecue to complement the craft beers,” said architect Jim Williams when showing his sketch plan of the outdoor areas for the eatery.<br /> The buyer wants to respect the historic nature of the house, Prakas told the CRA board. <br /> CRA Executive Director Vivian Brooks said she supported the extra time beyond Jan. 4 because the house was never renovated to be a commercial structure. <br /> Local Development has agreed to pay $255,000, the appraised value of the Magnuson House. The firm also will receive another $200,000 to build out the restaurant.<br /> For the Little House, at 480 E. Ocean Ave., the sale is expected to close in April.<br /> Mike Simon, assistant CRA director, told the board that a company created by Ocean Ridge Commissioner Richard Lucibella and partner Barbara Ceuleers signed the contract in December to purchase the historic home for $335,000. <br /> The site plan is due by March 31 and two weeks later the sale will close, Simon said. The money already sits in an escrow account managed by agency’s law firm.<br /> Lucibella still plans to lease the restaurant to Lisa Mercado, who owns the Living Room eatery on Congress Avenue in Boynton Beach. She plans to serve tapas and beer and wine. <br /> The new version of the Little House can open by December if the latest construction schedule holds. As to the name, Lucibella said he would leave that to Mercado to decide. She could not be reached for comment.<br /> The two houses carry local historic designations, meaning the city’s Historic Resources Preservation Board would have to approve any renovations. <br /> In other CRA-related action, Boynton Beach City Commissioner Mike Fitzpatrick named his selection to the agency’s citizen advisory board. At the first City Commission meeting in January, Fitzpatrick picked Paula Melley, a consultant who runs Timeless Beauty Institute. Fitzpatrick was not at the December commission meeting when his fellow commissioners picked the other six panelists. <br /> The advisory board members will make recommendations to the CRA board about activities, programs and financial issues in the CRA area.</p></div>Boynton Beach: Pizza plan is toast, and CRA has ‘egg on face’https://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/boynton-beach-pizza-plan-is-toast-and-cra-has-egg-on-face2015-07-29T15:39:38.000Z2015-07-29T15:39:38.000ZChris Felkerhttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/ChrisFelker<div><p><strong>By Jane Smith</strong></p>
<p> The Pizza Guy won’t be coming to Boynton Beach. <br /> But Johnnie Brown’s might take his place.<br /> Sal Campanile, who wanted to buy the Little House and the Magnuson House, backed out in early July. He sent an email to the Community Redevelopment Agency leaders on July 6 that his investors were withdrawing from the project and asked for another four to six weeks.<br /> On July 14, the CRA board voted unanimously to terminate the contracts with Campanile’s company for the historic homes. He had offered $325,000 for the Little House, also known as the Ruth Jones cottage, and $255,000 for the Oscar Magnuson House. <br /> “We were more interested in his menu than his finances,” said Joe Casello, vice mayor and CRA board member. “We can’t stumble on this any longer, it’s not good for our image.”<br /> Campanile’s company, Ocean Ridge Hospitality, did not make the required 10 percent deposits on the contracts, which would have given him another 90 days from July 3. He said he couldn’t make the July 14 meeting because of a family obligation. He could not be reached for comment for this story.<br /> Documents show that the CRA staff had recommended Philadelphia real estate developer Bruce Kaplan for the Little House and the Oscar Magnuson House. His Local Development Co. offered $550,000 in the spring for both houses.<br /> Kaplan came to the March meeting and explained that his company would fix up the houses and then rent them, but he didn’t make the April meeting when the board chose the buyers. Some members saw that as a snub and selected Campanile instead.<br /> Campanile, a Boynton Beach resident who owns Mastino Wood Fire Kitchen in Delray Beach, spun a tale of growing up in Italy, describing his passion for pizza. <br /> He repeatedly said he had $1.5 million to invest.<br /> Most of the CRA board members blamed themselves, saying they had “egg on their faces.” Two tried to blame the restaurant broker who brought Campanile to their attention.<br /> “Maybe we should have been more vocal about vetting the clients,” said Tom Prakas, the broker who also found Kaplan and West Palm Beach restaurateur Rodney Mayo.<br /> “Everyone drank his (Campanile’s) Kool-Aid. He is a great pizza maker, he threw pizzas in the air. I knew this guy is not closing. He went to everyone I know in the industry asking for money, asking them to be his partner.”<br /> Casello asked twice, “Why did you let us drink his Kool-Aid?”<br /> Prakas said he couldn’t attend the second meeting because of a prior commitment. “I’d like for you to give us one more shot to do it professionally,” he said. “This time I will be more vocal about who I put in front of you.”<br /> The board agreed by a 5-2 vote to hire his firm for four months. Casello and Commissioner Mack McCray voted no.<br /> This time, potential buyers will have to provide two years’ tax returns, a credit report and an audited financial statement. <br /> Prakas said Kaplan is still interested in the properties, as are the owners of Johnnie Brown’s burger place in Delray Beach. The restaurant takes its name from the famed architect Addison Mizner’s pet monkey, Johnnie Brown. <br /> The restaurant’s father-and-son owners also once held 20 Primanti Bros. sandwich shops out of Pittsburgh, Prakas said. The chain became known for sandwiches of grilled meat, coleslaw with a vinegar dressing, tomato slices and french fries between two slices of Italian bread.<br /> They sold the chain to a hedge fund, Prakas said. “They want to do both of the properties,” he said.</p></div>Boynton Beach: City hears pitches for historic buildingshttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/boynton-beach-city-hears-pitches-for-historic-buildings2015-04-01T18:14:28.000Z2015-04-01T18:14:28.000ZChris Felkerhttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/ChrisFelker<div><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960567880,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960567880,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="360" alt="7960567880?profile=original" /></a><em>The Little House property at 480 E. Ocean Ave.</em></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960567893,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960567893,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="360" alt="7960567893?profile=original" /></a><em>The Oscar Magnusen house at 211 E. Ocean Ave.</em><br /><strong>Photos provided</strong></p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><strong>By Jane Smith<br /><br /></strong> Boynton Beach held its own version of the Shark Tank television show in March when its Community Redevelopment Agency board listened to ideas pitched for its two historic homes — Little House and the Oscar Magnuson house.<br /> Most presenters bubbled with excitement about their plans for a music school with space for the local ukulele club to play, a bed and breakfast with an event center, a craft brewery serving light bites, a pizza place with a wood-fired oven, a Mediterranean restaurant and a brew pub that specializes in fermented tea.<br /> Then a potential buyer, Bruce Kaplan of the Local Development Co. in Philadelphia, stepped forward and talked in general terms about the development firm where he is chief financial officer. His firm recently purchased a 3.3-acre vacant parcel at 1314 N. Federal Highway in Delray Beach. <br /> Prakas & Co., a real estate brokerage that specializes in restaurants, received the exclusive listing for the two homes in November. The Prakas firm is based in Boca Raton and run by Tom Prakas. <br /> Vivian Brooks, the CRA’s executive director, contacted Prakas. “He is often mentioned in the media as the go-to person for restaurants,” she said last year. <br /> Broker Steve Mossini said the firm sent an email blast to its client list about the Boynton Beach homes when asked how Kaplan found out about the properties. They were not listed on Loop.net or other commercial real estate websites.<br /> The Prakas firm will receive a commission equal to 5 percent of the base lease rental amount for the full lease term or $5,000, whichever is greater, for the Little House at 480 E. Ocean Ave. and for the Magnuson House at 211 E. Ocean Ave. If the firm finds a buyer, it would receive a 5 percent commission, or at least $10,000.<br /> For the Magnuson house, the CRA is offering $200,000 to the buyer/renter to build it out, plus other grants available from the CRA, Brooks said. <br /> Kaplan’s firm offered to pay $250,000 for the Little House and $300,000 for the Magnuson house, the oldest structure in Boynton Beach. <br /> The prices would translate into losses for the CRA. The agency had paid $850,000 in 2007 for the 1,736-square-foot house built about 1910 by Swedish immigrant and farmer Oscar Sten Magnuson. His wife, Eunice Benson Magnuson, was one of the first town clerks. <br /> The CRA had spent nearly $800,000 to buy, move, renovate and outfit the 786-square-foot cottage, known as the Little House.<br />Its board members received just a spreadsheet listing the potential buyer and tenants, even though most of the potential tenants had submitted plans. Kaplan’s firm did not submit material, just gave a $2,500 deposit held by Prakas & Co.<br /> Board members eventually decided to review the proposals before voting, but they let the businesspeople make their pitches. <br />Chris Montague, who lives in Boynton Beach, talked about moving his music school, SoFlo Music School, from Delray Beach into the Magnuson house. He submitted a proposal, but it was not listed as a viable option because he learned after the fact that the CRA was only interested in restaurants. No one mentioned that to him during the process, he said. The CRA materials also listed other uses for the building.<br /> His music school offers piano lessons to 150 students a week. “That’s about 600 people a month, dropping off kids or loved ones for 30 minutes to an hour with time on their hands,” he said. They would bring extra traffic to Ocean Avenue, he said.<br /> He thinks the backyard space would be a great place for the Boynton Delray Ukulele Society to meet. “Right now, they practice in a private home,” he said. <br /> Events coordinator Tara Sinclair brought an entourage to support her idea of turning the 211 house into a bed and breakfast. Her inn would feature a wrap-around porch where beer and wine would be served, four luxury suites and an event space in the backyard, and her living quarters and office upstairs. <br /> She hired an architect to develop renderings and restaurant and business consultants to guide her. She also had a building inspector review the condition of the house. Her proposal includes this financial breakdown: $400,000 loan secured to cover the cost of the luxury suites and event space, $250,000 from the CRA to create the wrap-around bar, $200,000 from the CRA to bring the structure up to code and the property would be given to her.<br /> “Boynton Beach is charming,” she said. “It has character and can become a coastal destination.”<br /> Jason Facarra of Three Horns Brewing Co. said his business was formed two years ago by three friends who started it as a hobby. The company has a chef who trained with Michelle Bernstein in Miami. It plans to brew craft beers onsite by building a small structure that can support the tanks.<br /> “Our goal is to be a hub for the kind of people the CRA is trying to attract,” he said. Three Horns plans to bring beer tourism to Ocean Avenue with beer tastings and the like.<br /> Three Horns offered to enter into a 10-year lease at the Little House at $2,000 per month with the first four months free. It also wants an option to buy in the first year. “Whatever makes the most sense from the financials,” he said.<br /> Sal Campanile introduces himself as the “Pizza Guy” and told the board, “I see Boynton Beach as even better than Delray Beach.” He owns the 250-seat Mastino Wood-Fired Pizza Kitchen in Delray Beach. <br /> For the Little House, he plans to open the Little Pizza Shack and offer wood-fired pizzas, free-range rotisserie chickens, handmade gelatos and cappuccinos. “We will do wine pairings, craft beer pairings, wood-fired pizza school for aspiring chefs,” he said. <br /> At the Magnuson house, he wants to run La Piazzetta Market & Grille and offer Mediterranean cuisine with an open kitchen. <br />At the Little House, he is willing to pay $1,500 a month for a five-year lease with three five-year extensions and an option to buy within the first five years for $275,000. Lease payments would go toward the purchase price. He is asking for six months rent free. <br />At the Magnuson house, he would pay $2,500 a month for a five-year lease with three five-year extensions and an option to buy. Lease payments would go toward the purchase price, not specified. He wants first 12 months rent free.<br /> “What kind of financial help are you looking for?” Mayor Jerry Taylor asked.<br /> “I’ll take whatever you guys have,” Campanile said. “We don’t need it. But if it’s available, we will take it.”<br /> Chris Montellius, who works at Brown Distributing Co. in West Palm Beach, wants to open a Kombuchery. “Kombucha is a fermented tea, similar to the process of brewing beer,” he said. “But it is more of a health and probiotic beverage.” <br /> He plans to offer a restaurant/brew pub at the Little House and pay $2,500 monthly rent. His chef, Alex Bustamente, cooks at The Breakers’ HMF restaurant in Palm Beach. Bustamante said the time is right to strike out on his own and that the Little House is the perfect place to start.<br /> For dinner, Bustamante wants to create an intimate, cozy atmosphere with a wood-fired oven. “It’s a really special spot that Boynton is lacking,” he said. <br /> Kaplan, of the Local Development Co., said his company has a branch office nearby. It acquires large properties, with its most recent acquisition at 1314 N. Federal Highway in Delray Beach. That acquisition closed in early March for $2 million, without a mortgage, he said.<br /> His company currently maintains over 20 properties and has developed in excess of 100 properties. It has bought and sold 234 properties in the last two years, he said. <br /> “We like the (Boynton Beach) properties. We believe we could acquire them, develop them,” Kaplan said. <br /> At the end of the more than two hours of presentations, Taylor said, “This could be the biggest thing we do on Ocean Avenue.” He asked his fellow board members to review the proposals and make a decision at the April 14 meeting. They agreed — unanimously.</p></div>